MYCORRHIZAL INFECTION, PHOSPHORUS UPTAKE, AND PHENOLOGY IN RANUNCULUS-ADONEUS - IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUNCTIONING OF MYCORRHIZAE IN ALPINE SYSTEMS

Citation
Rb. Mullen et Sk. Schmidt, MYCORRHIZAL INFECTION, PHOSPHORUS UPTAKE, AND PHENOLOGY IN RANUNCULUS-ADONEUS - IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUNCTIONING OF MYCORRHIZAE IN ALPINE SYSTEMS, Oecologia, 94(2), 1993, pp. 229-234
Citations number
49
Categorie Soggetti
Ecology
Journal title
ISSN journal
00298549
Volume
94
Issue
2
Year of publication
1993
Pages
229 - 234
Database
ISI
SICI code
0029-8549(1993)94:2<229:MIPUAP>2.0.ZU;2-L
Abstract
Phosphorus levels, phenology of roots and shoots, and development of v esicular arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi were monitored for two yea rs in natural populations of the perennial alpine herb, Ranunculus ado neus. The purpose of this study was to understand how phosphorus uptak e relates to the phenology of R. adoneus and to ascertain whether arbu sculus, fungal structures used for nutrient transfer. were present whe n maximum phosphorus accumulation was occurring. Arbuscules were only present for a few weeks during the growing season of R. adoneus and th eir presence corresponded with increased phosphorus accumulation in bo th the roots and shoots of R. udoneus. In addition, phosphorus accumul ation and peaks in mycorrhizal development occurred well after plant r eproduction and most plant growth had occurred. The late season accumu lation of phosphorus by mycorrhizal roots of R. adoneus is stored for use during early season growth and flowering the following spring. In this way R. adoneus can flower before soils thaw and root or mycorrhiz al nutrient uptake can occur.